


Dance Teacher!England x Reader~

by AceOfHearts



Series: Dance Teacher!England X Reader [1]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-03-24
Updated: 2013-04-26
Packaged: 2017-12-06 09:45:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/734276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AceOfHearts/pseuds/AceOfHearts
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Persuaded/forced by your best friend Emily Jones (Fem!America), you join a dance class taught by someone you knew very well...<br/>Who is this new dance teacher? Isn't it....your childhood best friend?<br/>~Enjoy~</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Your name is ____ ____ and today is the worst day of your life. It’s a Friday, which is usually a relief to you at every end of the week, but this particular one seemed hell-bent on making you as aggravated as possible at school.  
\--------------------------------------------------------------  
Flashback: Earlier that day…  
It all started at school, when your teacher yelled at you for falling asleep during class and forgetting to do your homework. Your classmates watched this with interest, seeing as you are one of the best students at your high school. The day got progressively worse, and it all ended with you tripping then falling down the stairs. “Someone should’ve warned you about the stairs!”* A student called out.   
End of flashback  
\--------------------------------------------------------------  
You groan at the memory and right now, you’re walking home with a crap-ton of books and homework. You start to make plans to decide on the best way to quickly finish your homework, have enough time to study, relax and go to bed. 

There was plenty of time still left for the day, heck, even the weekend, but you didn’t want to waste any. (Maybe you should start following your friends’ advice- about relaxing and not worrying too much-but then again, you couldn’t, really. Your parents were too occupied with their own work and they expected you to take care of yourself and maintain the best grades you possibly could. It’s a wonder that you actually have a social life.) 

Well, here you are, making it happen. You figure that, maybe if you work each assignment for half an hour, then take a five minute break, then use the remaining half to- “Hey! ____!” Your best friend suddenly yells. “Wait up!” 

All thoughts broken, you sigh irritably, stop walking, and turn around as she runs towards you with what seems to be a flyer in her hand. You cringe a few seconds later as she trips in mid-step and falls right in front of you as the flyer somehow lands on top of her head. Well, here she is, your best friend, Emily Jones, in all her glory- or should you say, her ditzyness. Unaffected by her spectacular fall, she bounces back to her feet, her blue eyes sparkling, and presents it to you. 

“Ta-da!” She cries happily. 

“…And what exactly am I supposed to be looking at and be excited for?” You deadpan. 

“Well, it’s a flyer for a new dance class!” She announces proudly. 

“A new dance class, huh?” 

“Yeah! It’s supposed to be ballroom dancing or something like that…”

“Sounds interesting. But, you see, Emily, I…” You pause as she waits with bated breath. 

“…Can’t.” Her held breath rushes past her lips as she stares at you in disappointed silence. 

“But ____,” she starts to whine, “It’s gonna be really fun and it’s supposed to be taught by a really hot guy!” 

You give her a “bitch please” look frown a bit, start to walk again, and say over your shoulder, “Well then, you can have the hot guy all to yourself and have fun, okay? I have to study and do homework, since it’s getting dark, so-” 

“____!” she shrieks. “Stop right there and listen to me! And no, I don’t care that you have to do homework. It’s Friday, for goodness’ sakes! There’s the whole weekend to do your homework, and plus, you have to enjoy some time with your friends and get outside more often!” "You WILL go to the dance class, even if I have to drag you by the hair to bring you!" Your (e/c) eyes widen and you unconsciously touch your (h/l)(h/c) hair.

"Um," you start to say, but the words die on your lips as she throws you an angry glare. "..Okay then," you whisper.

The rant continues for a few more minutes with her letting out her exasperation and cutting you off whenever you tried to speak, because as she says, “I don’t wanna hear it!” 

“Fine!” You yell, after the whole thing is over. “I’ll do it! Happy?” You grumble.

A huge grin spreads across her face while she nods vigorously, her short blonde hair bouncing. 

“Oh, and Emily?” You ask. 

“Yeah, ____?”

“Who’s the teacher for this dance class?” 

She glances at the flyer for a few seconds and replies, “Um, some guy named Arthur Kirkland.”


	2. Dance Teacher!England x Reader Chapter 2

“…Arthur…Kirkland…” You repeat slowly. It sounds vaguely familiar, but where have you heard that name before? Your brain tries and fails to recognize the name when it hits you like a ton of bricks. “Oh, yes, now I remember”, you say, almost to yourself. “It’s been so long…” “And now he’s coming back…home…”

“What’s been so long?” Emily pipes up suddenly, startling you out of your reverie. 

“It’s been so long since I’ve seen him, and now I get to meet him again after 11 years…” 

“Well then, it’s a good thing I convinced you, right ______?” She grins and elbows you.

“Yeah, suuuure, if you say so, Emily.”

“I DO say so! And look at this! It says he’s not only a dance teacher, but a famous one, ____!”

“WHAT?!” You yell. “I’ve known that he’s been traveling around the world with his family for those past 11 years, but THIS?!”

“Why has he been traveling, ____?” She asks you with a quizzical look.

“Well, I’m not COMPLETELY sure, since it’s kinda vague, but I think it’s his parents’ job or something like that.”“It starts with a ‘W’, maybe.”

“How long have you known him, ____?”

“More than 11 years, that’s for sure. We go way back, actually. He was, and hopefully still is, my best friend.” A smile creeps its way across your face as you say the last couple of words.

“What’s he like? Is he as hot as the picture? Tell me, ___! Tellmetellmetellmetellme~!” Emily waves the flyer wildly bombards you with these questions.

You motion her to calm down before speaking. “Well, he’s really kind and helpful, but those words don’t even begin to cover his personality. About his looks, well, I think he looks almost the same as he did when we were kids, if you look at the picture.” You glance over at the flyer and laugh. “It looks like he still has those huge eyebrows.”

Emily stares at the picture and laughs along with you. “Oh, ____, you should take this and read all the information on it! I gotta go! I’ll see you tomorrow at 8, okay?” She puts the flyer in your hand and runs in the opposite direction of her home.

“DUMMY!” You yell. “YOUR HOUSE IS RIGHT ACROSS FROM MINE!”

Her retreating figure suddenly stops and turns as she walks to her home. “Oops!” She giggles. “Bye, ____!” The door of her home shuts behind her.

“Wait. EIGHT O’CLOCK??!! THAT’S TOO EARLY!” You mentally rage as you unlock the door of your house. You sigh. “Emily and her crazy ideas… but at least I get to see him again, right?” You think as you go into your hallway. 

You stop in front of a collection of photos framed on the wall. Your eyes search for the picture that was taken of you and Arthur--secretly--on the day he left 11 years ago.  
\---------------------------------------------------------  
Flashback- 11 years ago~  
“____! _____! Where are you??!!” A blond-haired boy calls out, his emerald green eyes looking in every direction. “It’s too hot to play hide-and-seek, you know! You’ve been hiding for a long time, too!”

“Do you give up, Artie?” Your voice calls out. “I won’t come out until you say you give up!”

The boy sighs and says, “Okay! You win, I lose! Happy?”

You suddenly swing and hang upside down from a tree branch and giggle. “Yes!” You exclaim next to his ear.

He jumps, startled, as you look at him (e/c) filled with an amused expression.

“You look pretty funny upside down, Artie!” You announce, swinging back and forth, legs firmly wrapped around the branch, (h/c) swaying gently from side to side.

“____! You shouldn’t do that! It’s dangerous! What if you fall and hurt yourself? Get down!” He orders. “And don’t call me ‘Artie’! It’s ‘Arthur’!”

In response, you pout but get back down on the ground and whine, “But ‘Artie’ is more fun than plain old ‘Arthur’! Plus, who made you the boss of me? We’re both seven, you kn-”

“Yeah, but, I’m older than you by a few months, _____, so I am the boss of you!” Arthur swiftly cuts in and announces triumphantly.

You both laugh and collapse on the ground, arms linked.

“You’re such a great best friend, Artie! I hope we stay best friends forever!” You say, ruffling his blond hair, as he glances at you in mock annoyance, not caring that you called him by his nickname.

“Of course we will, ____!”

“Really?” You exclaim, (e/c) eyes wide.

“Really. I promise!” He sticks his pinky out towards you, smiling.

“Forever and ever!” You say in response, grasping his pinky with yours as you smile back.

~Timeskip: A few hours later~

“Arthur, where are you going??!! Don’t leave!!” You yell, tears in your eyes, as he is ushered into his family car by his parents. Your parents apparently already said and finished their goodbyes.

“I’m sorry, _____! But I can’t do anything because my parents have wa-” He is cut off as the door slams closed behind him. He quickly lowers down his window and shouts, “I know that we’re going to meet again someday! We’re still going to best friends even then, okay??!! I promise!!”

The window is rolled back up as the car speeds away into the fading afternoon light, leaving you staring after its wake. Your parents come up behind you, murmuring soothing noises and trying to explain why he had to leave. 

You fall on your knees to the ground, the tears escaping and darkening the ground. Your vision blurs as each tear is replaced by another, in a steady stream of tears as you look at the pinky that made the promise with your best friend not too long ago. “…I promise too, Arthur…” You whisper.

Flashback end~  
\------------------------------

You take down the picture and look at it more closely. The two of you look serious, but are smiling widely, with your pinkies intertwined. It only felt like yesterday when you two made the promise, sitting in your backyard after a game of hide-and-seek. 

Both of you were just children, but it felt like you had known each other for eternity. It was pretty close to an eternity, in your opinion. He was your soon-to-be next door neighbor, playmate when both of you were infants, and your forever best friend in every stage of growing up. Nothing, not even distance, would break that bond. 

At that moment, you feel your heart clench and tears well up. “I missed you so much while you were gone, Artie.” You say aloud, roughly wiping the tears away. You start to put back the picture back in its place on the wall, but decide to bring it with you into your room. Hugging the photo to your chest, you close the door to your room.

Outside, the streetlamp flickers on and illuminates the now empty spot on the darkened hallway of your home and the empty house next door.


	3. Dance Teacher!England X Reader Chapter 3

You don't remember falling asleep, but when you wake up, the photo is not in your hands, but on your desk. You figure that your parents must have done it in the middle of the night or something. Anyway, you, on the other hand, are not on any piece of furniture. Your bed, to be exact. Well, at least, you think you were, but right now you're on the floor, sprawled out in a mess of bedsheets and pillows.

"Typical," you groan. This always happens when you're tired or stressed. You don't know how looking at a picture is tiring or stressing, but it did bring back memories and a tinge of sadness. You shrug and glance over at the stack of books and homework you brought home yesterday.

The flyer is on top, and you reach out to grab it. It's not that flashy; it just has a couple of pictures here and there. It's not boring either; it has a lot of information, though. The dance class was indeed ballroom, like Emily said, it was for 30 days at no cost, and on the 30th day, there was...a masquerade??!!

A smirk plays on your lips, but you keep reading. The class is held every day; 4 to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 8 to 10 a.m. on the weekends. You sigh. How are you supposed to fit in all the hours for doing everything? You read the last line on the flyer out loud. "'Clothes are formal dress, boys should blah blah blah, girls should wear dresses or shirts with blouses." "Whaaat. What a waste of time." After you say the word 'time', you reach for your phone and look at the time.

You let out a shriek and scramble around, trying to look for a blouse and a skirt, maybe a dress, but the search proves unfruitful. You make the decision to go in the rumpled clothes you wore yesterday and slept in--and still currently wearing. You steal a quick glance at your (h/c) hair and tie it up into a ponytail. Grabbing your phone and quickly looking at the address of the dance class as mentioned in the flyer, you stuff both items into your pocket. Biting back curses, you step out the door and slam it shut.

You start running, and halfway to your destination, a thought quickly crosses your mind that makes you stop abruptly. You wonder if you look presentable enough and decide to check yourself before you enter the dance class building. You also mentally kick yourself for forgetting to lock the door, but that doesn't stop you from running again.

You get to the location, which is a fairly new building in your neighborhood. It still shows signs of being new, with a few pieces of bricks and planks of wood strewn here and there. A piece of paper tacked on the door reads simply, "Dance Class Held Here".

Without noticing where you are going, you crash into a person, causing said person to stumble backwards and you to fall in a heap.

"Ouch, ____! You didn't have to do that just to get my attention, you know!" A voice whines.

Picking yourself up from the ground, you come face-to-face with Emily. You groan after you look her up-and-down. She's dressed like how the flyer requested and since you aren't, she gives you a weird look.

"_____-" She starts to say her name but you cut her off with a glare.

"Don't. Even. Say. A. Word." You clip the words angrily. "I got here, didn't I? That's all that matters, even if I look like a hot mess!"

She giggles at the words 'hot mess' and seems to agree that you do look like one.  
"Emily, shouldn't we be inside?" You ask quietly.

At the speed of light, she whips out her phone and her face pales.

"AH, CRAP!" The two of you yell in unison, throwing open the doors, only to be met with a silent group of people and one, very angry, teacher.

Emily tries to grin enthusiastically but ends up smiling weakly. You, on the other hand, cautiously scan the faces in the room. Some you recognize from your neighborhood and even your school and their facial expressions range from failing to contain laughter to completely blank-faced. You look at the last face and cringe.

Arthur's face is completely red, and you could see the muscles in his face move as he tries to control his anger by clenching and unclenching his jaw. His trademark eyebrows are furrowed so deeply, they seem to connect and make a "V" shape at the center of his forehead.

Even though this is the wrong moment to laugh, you let out a tiny snort as the corners of your mouth start twitching. You bite your tongue to contain the laughter, but it's too much.

While you're trying to stop yourself from bursting out in laughter, Arthur regains his composure and snaps sarcastically, "I'm so glad that the two of you finally took the time out of your busy lives to come join us!" The class breaks into laughter. "Gits.." He mutters under his breath.

Unfortunately, Emily doesn't detect the sarcasm and beams as she replies, "Yeah! We're really sorry for being late though, sir!"

His eye twitches dangerously as he takes deep breaths for a few seconds. "It's.....Okay...We haven't started yet, but since the two of you were late, one of you has to be my partner for the demonstrations. So, who is it going to be?"

You turn to Emily to converse with her about the choice but she shoves you forward before you can say a word. "She wants to do it!" Emily exclaims.

Turning and shooting a "I'll get you for this" look at her, you step forward a little bit more to close the distance between you and Arthur. He stares at you as if he's never seen you before but quickly extends his hand towards you.   
You decipher the look as a questioning one-since you aren't wearing the formal dress that was requested. You start to apologize and explain but he interrupts you.

"Pleasure to meet you, Miss...?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!


	4. Dance Teacher!England X Reader Chapter 4

You gasp and step backwards, flinching from his outstretched hand. Hot tears start to prick at your eyes as you digest what he just said to you. Not wanting to cry in front of everyone you know, you swallow and say hoarsely, "____. (f/n)(l/n)."

"Nice to meet you, ____" His tone brisk and professional. "Let's get started, shall we?"

He then nods at the pianist, which you realize is Roderich Edelstein, one of your classmates.

For the next two hours, you assist him in showing the others how to dance, as they pair up in two's.  
You feel every step forced- mechanical, almost. Instead of feeling ecstatic that you finally meet your best friend after 11 years, you feel rage and deep sadness.

You don't understand why he's acting as if he's never even seen or met you before, and being so cold and distant. You offer no words, no resistance, or even a hint of feeling as he guides you on the floor, one hand on your waist, the other holding your hand gently. Your grip on his shoulder softens as you plunge into a flashback.  
\---------  
Flashback: 11 years ago  
"_____! Come here! I want to show you something!" Arthur calls out to you, waving his hand wildly.

"What is it, Artie?" You ask, looking up from the flowers you dug up and currently "replanting".

"Come here and then I'll show you!"

"Okay, fine."

"Hold out your hands-wait, ew! Wipe your hands off first, _____!"

You sigh and wipe off your hands on your pants, trying to get most of the dirt off.  
"Okay, now what, Artie?" You ask as you hold out your hands as instructed. He eyes them a little disdainfully, suspicious of the dirt, as he grabs hold of them.

"I'm going to teach you how to dance! So, I'm going to hold your waist and hold your hand, while you hold my hand and my shoulder, okay? You have to trust me, ____!" He asks, smiling.

"Okay!"  
\-----Flashback End---  
"_______! _____! We're done for today!" Fingers snap near your face.

You blink and shake yourself out of the memory, finding that the class had indeed ended and that everyone had gone home. Looking at him in the eyes, you say coldly, "Thank you, Mr. Kirkland," stressing the formality.

Matching your tone, he replies back, "It was no problem, Miss _____. I would like to say that your dancing is atrocious, though."

"Excuse me??!!" You exclaim.

"You heard what I said. It's absolutely horrible." He smirks. "We have to fix that tomorrow, or we might have to arrange some time to improve it. Oh, and ____, can you please show me where my house is located?" He hands you a slip of paper and you cautiously take it.  
Scanning over the address, you feel your fingers begin to shake and the tears start to come back.

"Welcome home, Artie..." You choke out.


	5. Dance Teacher!England X Reader Chapter 5

In a flash, he grips your wrists and pins you to the wall before you can react. His eyes flicker with an unreadable emotion that quickly becomes replaced with anger. "Don't call me that!" He hisses in your face, his eyes narrowing into slits.

Angrily, you snatch your hands away from his grip and glare at him. "I can call you that if I want to!" You ball up your fists and drop them to your sides. He opens his mouth to say something, but you cut him off.

"And why are you doing this? 11 years ago, you just left without any real explanation and now, you come back to good ol' England like nothing has happened! It took you this long. This long to come back." You look at him with a trembling smile. "You don't know how long I've waited for you to come back and when I heard that you were teaching this class, I was so excited because I could see you again, but no! You act like you've never seen or known me before! What is this, Arthur??!! Is this a game??!!" You pause, gasping.

"_____, I-"

"No!" You scream at him. "During all these years, you didn't even try to contact me or anything! You were off on some crazy, fun adventure with your parents and probably didn't even think about me, not even once! What happened to that promise we made??!!" 

You whirl around with tears streaming down your face, blindly feeling for the exit door. "And, are you playing stupid with me??!! You know perfectly well where you're living!" The latch on the door clicks open and you feel a rush of air coming in. You drop the piece of paper he gave you and run outside before he can say a word, leaving your phone behind.

"____! Wait!" He yells in vain after your retreating form. Sighing loudly and leaning against the wall, he spots a flip phone not too far from him. Curious, he picks it up, looking at the simple design and flicks the top up. The picture that shows up on the screen takes him by surprise.  
\------------  
"And then, he just blew me off and I got upset so I left!" You complain loudly to your friend, Kiku Honda, as you wipe away tears. Right now, you're sitting in the calm atmosphere of the tiny house-cafe that he and his brother own.

Instead of going to your home in a ball of emotions, you decided to go visit him for advice. He had nodded and stayed silent during your rant. "Would you like some more tea, ____?" He quirks an eyebrow at you.

You incline your head, accepting his offer. He tightens his lips slightly as he thinks of something to say while pouring the steaming tea into your cup.

"I don't really know what to say, but I have a feeling he had a reason for doing it. I'm sorry I can't help you, since it's kind of hard to explain." He says quietly.

You shake your head vigorously at his response and slightly slam the palm of your hand on the table the two of you are sharing. The cup shakes and the liquid makes ripples across the surface.  
"No, no, thanks for all your help, Kiku. I don't understand why he's being like this, though! He's acting as if he's a total stranger, not only to me, but to all of us!"  
You start to give examples of how, but Kiku offers a suggestion. "Maybe you should go and talk to him about this. Then maybe some things can become clear...?"

"Ugh! This is all so...All so...frustrating! I know and understand that he's been gone for 11 years, but he could have at least a little memory!" You bury your head in your arms, and close your eyes. "What if he truly has forgotten me?" You whisper to yourself, words muffled by your arms.  
\---------------------  
A younger version of him pinky-promising you stares at him from the screen. It couldn't be.... that you saved that photo from so long ago? He groans loudly and runs a hand through his hair. The picture threw a curveball into the plans. He had begged his parents to let him travel by himself, now that he's 18, and they consented, paying the fare for the travels. 

He chose to come back to his home country, England, to revisit old memories. The plan was to stay for a short period of time, teach a dance class, and go back to his parents. Although he had become a legal adult, they would still make him come with them to every country because of... 

"It's that stupid wanderlust." He says aloud, the words echoing in the empty building. It wasn't his plan, no, it was all his parents' idea. It was planned out so carefully, especially the one to be used with the old friends and neighbors he had left behind 11 years ago. He would pretend to not know them in order to cut his connections. It pained him to do so, especially with you. 

You were right about the game, and it cut him deeply when you spoke the words. He had tried a friendly approach- the "I'm meeting you for the first time" one- but you had seen right through it. He couldn't follow through with the plan. He just couldn't. "I'm too weak!" He cries out, slamming his fist on the brick wall. 

"Whatever you do, don't get close to anyone again-especially _____- when you go there, understand? A true traveler goes to one place and slips to the next, unnoticed and unseen..." His parents' words echo through his mind.

"I'm sorry..."


	6. Dance Teacher!England X Reader Chapter 6

The key turns into the lock of the building as he exits, your phone in his pocket. His mind is too confused with trying to decide whether to follow his parents' plan or to do...something. It could be anything to apologize for all the mistakes he had done to everyone.

He decides to look for you first, and try to apologize. He lets out a frustrated puff of air and shoves his hands in his pockets. He feels like a stranger in an unknown land, for he came back after 11 years. There were slight changes in the neighborhood; a few houses have new tenants or maybe got a color change.

Overhead, the sunny afternoon sky turns quickly overcast, and he feels the rain lightly dripping down on him. He makes no effort to shield himself or wipe himself off. With eyes on the ground and head buried in thoughts, he doesn't notice the light jingle of wind chimes and your voice.

"Thanks for everything, Kiku!" You exclaim gratefully, stepping out the door and looking back at your friend. He nods with a tiny smile turning up the corners of his lips.

The next thing you know, you bump into someone's chest and bounce back a little bit. "Oh, excuse me!" You automatically say. "Sorry for- Oh. It's you." You squint at Arthur and then look away, frowning. "I have to go now, so..."

"No, wait, _____." He grabs your wrist and you try to shake it off.

"No, I won't. You say.

"You have to listen to what I have to say!" He pleads.

"What makes you think I want to listen to you?" You exclaim angrily.

"I want to apologize for what happened earlier."

"It's too late to apologize, Arthur. And I don't want to hear it."

"Please, just give me a chance!" He says, voice rising.

"Never." You coldly say.

The argument continues until both of you are at each others' throats and full out arguing. Kiku tries to get both of you to calm down.

"_____, Arthur, please, try to make up with each other." He pushes the two of you into the house-cafe and shuts the door while he stands outside. "And you can't come outside until you make up!" He calls out.

"I guess we're never coming back out then!" You yell and slouch against the door.  
A mumbled string of curses make their way out into the atmosphere of tension.

"Language, ____!" He barks at you. "Bloody hell, I never should've done or said anything..." He kicks at a chair.

"Who's the one with the potty-mouth now?" You laugh humorlessly.

"Oh, shut up!" The chair topples over, hitting the ground with a sharp crack.

"You're telling me to shut up? You wanker!" You snarl.

He strides over to you and gets in your face angrily, as the two of you stare into each others' eyes, noses touching.

"You will listen to me!" He towers over you menacingly.

"As if! I don't even know if I can trust you again!" You scoff, pushing him away.

"Trust..." He becomes quiet and reaches in his pocket, pulling out your phone. "Here," he says roughly as he places it in your hands, "You forgot it back at the building. There's something- Never mind." He reaches for the door when it's opened by Kiku.

"Did the two of you make up yet?" Kiku asks with a bored face, but with brown eyes twinkling.

Silence.

"Excuse me, I have things to take care of." Arthur walks out, head bowed.  
\-------------------  
Your finger hesitates over the 'end' button on your phone. You just finished reading the draft text message he wrote on your phone, apologizing and explaining his actions.

Save draft?  
>Yes  
>No

You decide to press the 'yes' button, instantly saving the message. "This is so confusing! I don't- I can't- I...." You snap the phone shut, but not before you catch a glimpse of your background photo. "Ah, bollocks."


End file.
